Discipline: Veterinary

Welfare of small ruminants during transport

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW): Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler

Published in 2022

EFSA scientific opinion on the protection of small ruminants during transport. Eleven main welfare consequences were identified: group stress, stress during handling, heat stress, injuries, stress during movement, predation stress, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, restriction of movement, problems resting and sensory hyperstimulation. These welfare consequences and animal based measurements of them are described. The hazards leading to these negative consequences and recommendations on how to avoid the hazards and correct or mitigate their welfare consequences are presented.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

Welfare of cattle during transport

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW): Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler

Published in 2022

EFSA scientific opinion on the protection of cattle during transport. Eleven main welfare consequences were identified: group stress, stress during handling, heat stress, injuries, stress from movement, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, respiratory disorders, rsetriction of movement, problems resting and sensory hyperstimulation. These welfare consequences and Animal-based measurements for them are described. The hazards that lead to these consequences and recommendations to prevent such hazards and to correct or mitigate their welfare consequences are presented.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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Is tail biting in pigs related to tail posture?

Samaneh Azarpajouh

Published in 2022

Technical article outlining the risk factors for tail biting, their impact on the pig industry, current knowledge concerning the relationship between different tail postures and the emotional states of pigs, and methods to prevent tail biting.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Pain, Enrichment, Housing, Mutilation, Stress

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L’hypertype est-il contraire au bien-être animal ?

Marion Weisslinger

Published in 2022

Dossier explaining the origins of hypertypes, how they affect animal welfare and an animal's owner, and how to deal with this trend. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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Recognition and Assessment of Pain-Related Behaviors in Avian Species: An Integrative Review

Nicole A. Mikoni, David Sanchez-Migallon Guzman, Erik Fausak, Joanne Paul-Murphy

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the science behind the recognition of signs of pain in birds based on postural and behavioral changes. Most of the articles discuss pain stimuli associated with welfare impairments such as beak size, limb abnormalities, and wishbone fractures in chickens.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Birds (excluding poultry), Poultry

Keywords:Pain

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002518/22: Action must be taken when equine traffickers break EU animal welfare rules

Aurélia Beigneux (ID), Catherine Griset (ID), Virginie Joron (ID), Annika Bruna (ID)

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the European Commission's measures to prevent the trafficking of recreational horses, leading to their slaughter and fraudulent entry into the food chain.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Societal issues, Stress

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A systematic review of the impact of housing on sow welfare during post-weaning and early pregnancy periods A systematic review of the impact of housing on sow welfare during post-weaning and early pregnancy periods A systematic review of the impact of housing on sow welfare during post-weaning and early pregnancy periods

Jen-Yun Chou, Thomas D. Parsons

Published in 2022

Systematic review of the literature showing that the indicators relating to housing that are used to measure the welfare of sows in the post-weaning and early gestation periods are mainly physiological and health-related. There is a lack of studies on the effects of housing on the mental welfare of sows during this period of their reproductive cycle.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Housing, Weaning, Stress, Welfare indicators

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European Parliament: Written answer to question E-002611/22: Banning the transport of live animals during heatwaves 

Aurélia Beigneux (ID). Reply: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the European Commission's position on the banning of the transport of live animals when the temperature exceeds 30°C, and on how it intends to strengthen the regulations to better control such transport of live animals.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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Review: Assessment of dairy cow welfare at pasture: measures available, gaps to address, and pathways to development of ad-hoc protocols

L. Aubé, M.M. Mialon, E. Mollaret, L. Mounier, I. Veissier, A. de Boyer des Roches

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the benefits and risks of grazing for dairy cows, measures that can be used to assess the welfare of cows on pasture, and the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to develop specific welfare indicators.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Robustness, Stress

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Practices and issues of moulting programs for laying hens: a review

R. Mishra, B. Mishra, Y. S. Kim, R. Jha 

Published in 2022

Scientific review on the methods used on laying hen farms to trigger and end moulting, along with the animal welfare problems they cause.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Stress, Livestock farming system

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